Jim Cramer: President Donald Trump's coronavirus diagnosis will increase mask wearing

CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Friday downplayed the stock market decline on President Donald Trump testing positive for the coronavirus, suggesting investors may want to consider buying on pullbacks.

“I’m not saying this is much to do about nothing,” Cramer said on “Squawk Box.” “I am saying that people should have a buy list ready.”

Stock futures were sharply lower Friday morning as Wall Street digested the news that Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, tested positive for the coronavirus. The president wrote in a tweet early Friday morning, “We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!”

Equities dropped in early trading but pared some of those losses in the afternoon on hopes for a stimulus agreement.

After Cramer spoke, stocks went on to pare some of their early losses in afternoon trading on hopes for a stimulus agreement.

The Trumps’ positive tests came hours after White House advisor Hope Hicks also tested positive for the coronavirus. Hicks had traveled on Air Force One with the Trumps to Cleveland for Tuesday night’s first presidential debate.

Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence have tested negative for the virus, the White House announced Friday morning.

Cramer wished the Trumps a fast recovery and stressed the environment was not “business as usual.” But he added, “I do believe there will be many stocks that will initially go down, like a Tesla — by the way, we had deliveries that were better than expected — and then they can rally.”

“I think that can be like a Ford Motor, where I believe the numbers are going to come in better, and I would be looking to buy something like that,” the “Mad Money” host also said.

Cramer said he hopes the president’s coronavirus infection convinces more Americans to wear masks to prevent the spread of the virus, which could have benefits for the U.S. economy.

Cramer noted Trump has largely eschewed mask-wearing during the pandemic and earlier this week chided his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, for how frequently he wears a mask.

Biden on Friday morning wished the Trumps well.

“Masks are the only hope we really have, particularly indoors,” Cramer said. “Maybe the notion that you’re somehow ‘not tough’ [if you] wear a mask goes away.”

“If you try to reopen the economy aggressively without masks, without more discipline on social distancing, well it’s going to fail,” Cramer added. “I think that’s really the ultimate takeaway of what happened with the president being infected with Covid.”

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[MeetThaNewDealer]

I hope the Coronavirus make a swift and speedy recovery

[basherccc]

Trump mocks Biden during the first presidential debate: 'I don’t wear a mask like him'
Every time you see him, he’s got a mask. He could be speaking 200ft away and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen.'

Trump and his wife, Melania, tested positive for coronavirus two days after the debate
What Donald Trump has said about Covid-19 – a recap

[Horror-Man]

I think we all need to set aside our differences and agree that Jim Cramer looks exactly like Louis C.K.

[johncarpenter]

First time I ever heard Cramer talking in a normal voice, not yelling at us.

[SWPG]

"WHo Cares' ! right Melania....

[forrestolney]

When people get laid off they don't spend money as much wich means more people get laid off layed off, small business fail. It's a viches cycle, that gets harder to stop every day.

[bigmaky]

So when he says, "Have your buy list ready.", he's talking about buying short positions, right?

[steveg]

Mark Meadows didn't have one two hours face it these guys need to go !

[lawrencesullivan]

maybe denying Americans will now start to take this virus seriously and take appropriate action beginning with mask wearing and other measures.

[salempoor]

C19 Infection Fatality Rate per CDC:

0-19 yr: 0.00003%
20-49 yr: 0.0002%
50-69 yr: 0.005%
70+ yr: 0.054%

Flu IFR = 0.1%

[toscatattertail]

I doubt it.... they will say they are not where trump has been so they are not at risk...too little too late

[TheMercilessEye]

I wouldn't bet on that, Cramer...

[worldcitizeng]

Kramer voice gives me high blood pressure 🤧
Didn't someone once said that the virus will be over when the weather gets warmer? Like around Easter?

[kevngu]

I got rob today. And I always think that would never happened to me. So now I take precaution. Sometime we learn the hard way

[redwoods]

I imagine that Trump is walking back his statement that COVID-19 "affects virtually nobody..."

[WabiSabiLady]

He should of been wearing his Hannibal Lecter mask and social distancing in his bunker at the home for the criminally insane
Maybe with some bleach injections he'll be back to feeling like his killer self in no time.

[seccat]

Anything to get out of another Debate. Too bad he couldn’t use the Bone Spur excuse, again.

[killercaos]

Jim makes a excellent point at the end. What’s up with people associating “strength” and “wearing a mask”. I wanna hear more on that.

[linaalhmaid]

Wear a mask and keep a distance people

[kashfortheking]

Thanks Jim. Call up Kudlow and tell him to tell Trump to wear the damn mask 😷